Superciliary upsweep or tented eyebrows. A distinct mendelian trait

Facial appearance is influenced by the anatomic relationship of the eyebrows and eyelids. Anatomic variants may characterize members of a pedigree and thus constitute a family mark. We studied three white families with circumscribed upward slanting eyebrows. In one pedigree the family mark was inherited over four generations, suggesting an autosomal dominant inheritance. In the other two families the eyebrow variation was documented in three members over two generations, compatible with an autosomal dominant mode of transmission. In two families the expression of the trait varied in the form of both bilateral and unilateral involvement. No diseases or malformations were associated with this eyebrow anomaly.